wandering in our heads

@eleonor-castellana​

Her birthday falls on a Sunday, and it gives him ample time to set things up with some help from Hal without worrying about work causing a last minute cancellation. Or so Ben hopes, given he and Ele are currently walking down the well-worn path to their meadow, a place they haven’t been in several weeks despite the near weekly visits they had given it a couple months prior. “I considered a blindfold,” he admits with a laugh, holding onto her hand as they walk. It isn’t necessary, but he’s also gotten used to being able to do things with Ele just because the two enjoy it, not for any specific reason. “But I didn’t want to walk you into a tree, or have one of us trip over a root. And you already know where we are,” he says, reaching up to hold aside the branches that shield their meadow from view. Inside, there is a blanket strewn across the floor, holding an insulated basket filled with food and drinks with rocks on the separate corners to hold it down. Ben smiles, pulling her in and letting the branches fall behind them. “I know it isn’t a nice dinner out, but given the last time we tried, I think somewhere peaceful and quiet might be better.”

Eleonor couldn’t exactly tell how long lasted the explosion and the fiery hell it unleashed. It felt too slow and too fast at once, her senses heightened by the adrenaline that pushed her to action and the sheer fright of Ben being harmed -or worse- by the expanding wave of fire around them. She prayed she was enough, that putting herself between the flames and him was enough.

The bright orange chaos around them ceased eventually and the lamia pulled away, not quite letting go, just to see him. Just to make sure he was okay. A breathless sigh of relief escaped her. Ben cupped her face and she held on to him, hands tightening around the fabric of his shirt. “I’m okay” she said more than once, nodding, reassuring him as she was becoming reassured by his touch that he was also okay. He helped her get up and charred pieces of the blazer and shirt she was wearing fell to the ground. She spared no thought to the damage her clothes had sustained as she was simply relishing the fact that Ben was okay, that she had been fast enough to keep him safe.

He offered his coat and Ele kissed his cheek. “Thanks” she smiled softly as he  wrapped it around her, still feeling a bit on edge after the great shock they went through but begining to find some flickers of serenity due to Ben’s touch. It had been close… too horribly close. For a fraction of a second, in the midst of the flames, she had thought that the fire would take him away from her and in that terrible thought she found every bit of drive to ensure that didn’t happen. She didn’t want to learn what it would be like to not have him in her life now that she had found him. His sudden confession caught her off guard. Her lips parted softly, surprised. It was like receiving a gift she wasn’t expecting to get but her heart was singing to the music of those words. Eleonor leaned in, kissing him as her hands moved up from his chest to his neck and to his cheeks. “I love you” the words left her in an effortless whisper. Her lips found his again, slowly, lovingly. “I love you, Ben” she told him as their lips parted for a moment. She had feared opening up for so long, but now that she had fully opened her heart to him she couldn’t help but notice how it easy it was to let him know that. How easy it was to say ‘I love you’ to her friend, to her partner, to her everything this life allowed them to be for each other.

The reassurance brought a sigh of relief from him, and he pressed a kiss against her forehead, helping her put on the coat, trying to bring the erratic beating of his heart back to normal. Few people are around them, and those that are take stock of the situation, and Ben held onto her, thumb pressed against her wrist absently. Her pulse thrummed against his skin, a stark reminder of how human she was. A lamia, yes, but as human as himself. His hand slid from her wrist up to her face, hand against her cheek. He hadn’t confessed to love in... decades, and he had forgotten the lightness of it, of sharing it with someone. It was almost enough to rid him of the knot of worry, almost enough to make him forget where they were, but it wasn’t fully freeing until her lips sought his, taking his breath away. And again, as she returned the love, as easily as he had given it. He kissed her again, wishing they had an eternity to speak with each other, an eternity to kiss each other, and knowing for the time being, this tiny moment would have to be enough.

It was reassuring to hear him say it, to be recalled that this time around she wasn’t losing control and that yet again she didn’t stand on her own. Ben never let her stand alone and it was one of the reasons the nymph had won her heart. They faced the flames together now and there was comfort in his company, but the strange nature of the fire. “This is no ordinary fire” she confirmed, though she couldn’t tell for sure what kind of magic or external power could be at play there. Determining that was beyond her skills but perhaps with the aid of a witch they would know for sure later.

Ele took a step back, hands still raised before her as she put all her effort in containing the flames. “No. Don’t worry about me. Let’s just make sure they don’t get to you” she replied as she glanced at him, concern over the man she loved present in her eyes. She’d survived the very fires of the Inquisition and walked out as a fire demon in the eyes of those that tried to burn her. Being hurt by these flames didn’t worry her at all, it only worried her that the water nymph might be injured but she wasn’t about to let any harm come to him. With their joint effort they diminished the fire as much as they could until they were finally extinguished. The lamia couldn’t help but take notice of the strain, of how much more effort it took than something like this should have. 

“There must be fires elsewhere” the Councilwoman said as she looked around, noticing the columns of smoke visible even against the night sky. There was chaos in other places of town. She could only hope the other lamia and water nymphs were putting their skills to good use to help contain the situation. She followed Ben’s line of sight and noticed the heavy plume of smoke, moving to stand by his side. “It must be… We should head there, see how we can help”. The lamia’s hand intertwined with his and they began walking. They had only moved about ten meters when she stopped abruptly, hearing an odd sound. She wasn’t sure what to make of it. “Did you-?” she began asking but was cut off by the sudden flare of an explotion from a booth close by. In a split second Eleonor tackled the nymph to the ground to the side of another booth and shielded him as best as she could with her own body. Flames licked her back but didn’t cause her harm and she cradled Ben’s head to her chest, eyes open with terror as the inferno passed around them.

Ben had always known Eleanor was something amazing, but seeing her in action was an entirely different entity. She was always poised, but it surprised him to see the grace in her movements still while under duress. The flames responded to her movements, and he could see the struggle playing across her face and worked harder to douse it, to lighten the load on her shoulders. “Great, unusual flames is exactly what Lethe needed on top of their other issues,” he said, interjecting some humor into the situation as they battled the flames down. Sweat was beading on his forehead, but he didn’t stop, fueled as much by the determination in Eleanor’s stance as he was by the look of worry and affection she shot him. “I’ll be fine,” he told her, just in time for the flames to finally crack under the pressure. The water doused the last of it in the booth, leaving a charred mess behind, but no fire and Ben dropped his hands with a sigh of relief. He didn’t envy the people who used magic on a daily basis, but he would have to thank Hal again for giving him the ability to stand at her side. “Just fine,” he repeated as she caught his hand, lifting it to his lips for a brief moment, settled by her presence.

He hadn’t a chance to respond before the explosion in the booth next to them went off, sending them careening into the side of a different booth. No, not the explosion, he realized a moment later, when his head spun a little less. No, it was Eleanor, cradling him, shielding him from the flames. For a moment, Ben felt a blind panic fill him, his heart shooting up into his mouth, worry for this woman he loved - he loved, he loved, oh, he hadn’t admitted it to himself, but he did. He couldn’t move, he couldn’t act. She was holding onto him tightly. Fear and heat was the only thing he could feel, and a worry so intense he couldn’t find the words even when rationality returned. It could have been minutes, or hours, but the ringing in his ears faded, and the flames died down. He lifted his head, his hands moving to her wrists and then sliding up to cup her face in his palms, heedless of everything else. “Are you alright?” It might have been a shout, he couldn’t tell, pushing the hair out of the way so he could see her face. Unmarred, but her eyes wide. Ben recognized this look, though it had been over a year since he saw it, and he pressed his lips against her forehead. “We’re okay,” he murmured against her skin, “We’re okay.” He stood up, knees shaking, and then helped her up too.

At once, he shrugged off his coat, passing it over to her. It wouldn’t help much, but it beat the burnt remains of her shirt, the flames snuffed out before they could reach her skin. Ben settled it around her shoulders, unable to resist touching her again, the fear of nearly losing her making his hands tremble. It wasn’t the ideal place, he didn’t want to speak of it among the wreckage around them, among the people who were screaming still. No injuries, Ben and Eleanor had been the closest to it, and yet he worried over what could happen next time. Fire this time, but what of any other attack? No, he didn’t want to waste anymore, what did it matter to find the right moment and the right time when he might not have had a chance at all? “I love you,” he said and in a moment as rare as confessing love to someone, a swear fell from his lips. “And you scared the hell out of me, let’s never do that again.”

“I know it’s not ideal” the Councilwoman said, since she also shared Ben’s disappointment in that area. It meant a lot to her that he was willing to stick around even if the moments they could have together, just the two of them, were few. His patience and commitment were something Eleonor deeply appreciated and didn’t take for granted. His words managed to make her smile more brightly and the soft kiss he pressed to her temple gave her some reassurance that yes, she was a woman with many duties, but the nymph was understanding of that aspect of her life. “Thank you, Ben” she said, reaching out to caress his cheek. As honest as ever wit him, Ele didn’t want to leave any words left unspoken. Touches and adoring gazes could show her gratitude for his understanding but she didn’t want there to be any shadow of a doubt. And the lamia was also happy with him, had been even at the start of their friendship, and she would have also said those thoughts had the chaos around not begun when it did.

Ele’s eyes found his and her hand rested at the side of his neck for a moment. It was a familiar situation, kind of like a déjà vu almost, but this time around there was no compulsion to steal his energy or set the world on fire. The two of them headed towards the burning booth and her eyes quickly darted around, examining the scene. A frown settled on her brow. This was no ordinary fire. She was even more grateful for Ben’s presence as he had the initiative to assist her with his own powers. “There was magic involved in this” she glanced at him. Fire was one of the purest forms of energy she knew and there was something here that felt polluted somehow. “I think together we could do this” she agreed with a decided nod as Ben suggested the same thing she’d been thinking. Working as a team could be the only way. “We can’t let it spread”. The larger the fire got, the harder it would be to contain and put out. The lamia rose her hands as she began to make use of her pyrokinetic skills and gave a nod towards the water nymph so he could begin dousing booth.

In every other situation, Ben had been forced to take a step back and wait it out, knowing that his presence beside her was more of a liability than not if anything came to blows. He needed to remember to thank Hal more profusely when the time came, not just for being the type of friend that tinkers with an invention specifically to help him, but for giving him the ability to stand beside someone he cared about without being a weak point. Ben smiled under the soft touch to his neck, an acknowledgement that she, too, was thinking of the disastrous event after the council’s meeting the previous year. For half a second, he basked in it, before both knew it was time to handle their duties. Or, well, her duties, but his went hand in hand with anything of her own. “Won’t be as bad this time around,” he told her with a quirk of his lips as they stared at the flames, reading the expression on her face and deciding it warranted some comfort.

His hand reached for her shoulder, gently holding on, eyes swiveling from her to the flames licking up the side of the booth. “You think its magic?” Ben squinted at it, unable to tell from the first glance. But then, maybe that was why he couldn’t put it out. He discreetly fiddled with the watch, half his attention on the busting, panicking crowd around them and half on making sure the flames didn’t make a leap to him and Eleonor. With how fast they were chewing up the booth, he didn’t want to imagine what it would do to them. “Lamia don’t get hurt by fire?” It ended on a question, a tinge of worry in his tone, but he didn’t stop her from working on the fire. Ben wasn’t her keeper, he wasn’t going to dictate what she could or couldn’t do, but he would do his best to keep anything from happening to her. She focused on the flames, containing them, and Ben narrowed his eyes, dousing the flames before they could spread much farther. A bead of sweat broke out on his forehead, and slowly the flames from one booth were falling back. Bit by bit, they were keeping it from engulfing another one and he let out a little huff of air, hands dropping, when one booth was freed entirely. “You’d think there would be half a dozen water nymphs or lamia here.” And yet, it was just them, the people hurrying further away, their murmurs lost to the thump of his shoes and the crackle of the remaining flames. Ben lifted his hands again, sending a spray of water at the smoldering grass, trying to keep that from igniting at their feet. His attention drifted to a plume of smoke in the distance, too dark to be from a booth. “One of the floats?” He guessed. 

One of the most beautiful aspects about being as old as the lamia was, was that she’d gotten to see the world change, grow, invent. Fireworks, as simple and ordinary as they could be in this day and age, were something that she would’ve never imagined when she was a child. Colorful sparks exploding on the night sky might have been called witchcraft or the work of the devil in her time. There was a time when they didn’t exist and now she got to see them dance in the midst of stars and a crescent moon. She was so entranced by them, a peaceful smile on her lips as she enjoyed the night spectacle with Ben. When he spoke, her attention went to him in a heartbeat, her smile turning into a sheepish chuckle. “I’m so sorry. It must be such a headache for you”. And it was for her too but at the end of the day it was her duty not his, and he had to put up with the inconveniences of it anyway. Bless his patience.

Two hours together without interruptions was a nice new record, for sure. Maybe she was getting greedy but she was really hoping they could push it to three hours tonight. Four if they were lucky. Eleonor turned to face him, sliding her arms around his neck. “I think we can definitely count this one a success” the lamia agreed, nodding happily. Her fingers laced together at the back of Ben’s neck and she stepped a little closer. She was so drawn to him, she was right from the beginning, but now she could act on it and he had a way of making her feel that it was always welcomed. Eleonor leaned into him, smiling, before the world around them violently claimed their attention. She was startled by the scream and the loud sound of something akin to an explosion. After the initial shock she became alert, looking at Ben and then at their surroundings. That was when she saw a booth caught in flames that kept rising as if from a bonfire. Her eyes found Ben’s again, beginning to slip from his grasp. The determined look in her eyes said it all. I’ll handle it.

“Its disappointing, but its not a headache and its certainly not your fault that things come up. I’m not going anywhere anytime soon and I’m patient, I think our time will come for us sooner or later.” And if it didn’t, they would have to make time for it or something along those lines. He would figure something out to make it work, and if nothing else did, well, Ben was content with the few minutes he could have with her. As the sheepish smile spread across her face, Ben pressed a gentle kiss to the side of her head. “Truly, I’m happy with you. For ten minutes, or two hours.” Her dedication to her job was one of the things that he admired about her - and would they have even met if she didn’t go above and beyond? His hands settle on her hips as her arms slid around his neck, and he swayed closer to her, in sync with her own movements. They could blame it on the crowd jostling them if they wanted, but Ben knew that they both just craved closeness. His lips touched hers gently, a short-lived show of tenderness before the world demanded their attention.

His fingers tightened on her, alarmed at the sudden shift around them. “Seems familiar, doesn’t it?” he murmured, referring to the event last year, his eyes lingering on her face. Ben didn’t want to relive the experience, where Eleonor’s panic at her lack of control had brought her to tears. He wasn’t a violent man by nature, he had no wish to jostle people for accidentally stepping on his toes, but not when it meant the people he cared about were in danger. In this case, though, he relinquished his grip on her, sensing the shift in her demeanor. He shifted around, standing beside her, eyes on the flames licking up the side of the booth. “Nothing in those booths is worth getting burnt,” he said, flinging his arm out to hold off someone that tried barreling past them straight into the path of smoke. The wind caught the flames, dragging some of it from the edge of one booth to the edge of another, alighting the dry cloth that clung to it. He fiddled with the watch for half a second and then doused the newly formed flames with a wave of his hand. It hissed, evaporating, though just as quickly it sprouted again. Whatever it was, it wasn’t going to make this easy. This was the part where magic sucked and he turned to Eleonor with an unsure frown. “You control it, I can try dousing it? The wind is going to just fling it everywhere I think, might be better to just let it burn out...”

@ben-rivera

“There you go,” she said, offering a mirror to the child. She smiled and hugged Brynn, but her mother put her hand on their back to rush her away. “The witches are just down the street and to the right when you get to the pharmacy. They’ll animate it right up for you.” She waved her away and looked up at her next client who happened to be a friendly face. “Ben!” She stood and reached her arms up around his back. “A little birdy told me you are with a certain Council member. Javi, Javi told me.”

“Why didn’t you just team up with the witches to make one booth? You’d probably get more people swinging by to get enchanted face paints,” he said thoughtfully, settling onto a stool and offering her a half-grin as he scanned over the options. Her hug didn’t surprise him, he was getting used to Brynn’s easy affection, and he returned it with a laugh. “Oh, Javi has been spying, has he? I’ll have you know that he’s a little behind the times, we... confessed I suppose a couple weeks ago,” he explained, settling down once more, a light-hearted smile on his face. Talking of Eleonor always seemed to bring some easy happiness out of him, though he didn’t consider him much of a pessimist before her either. “You and Javi though? What’s happening there?”

@ben-rivera

“Man, it’s so good you’re here! You’re not gonna believe it!” Hal practically screamed with excitement the second he opened his door to find Ben on the other side. He’d told his friend he had big news and everything about the way he walked and talked made it very clear it was an ‘I got and invention to work beautifully’ kind of big news. “I started tinkering with some stuff, I was doing some work with magical runes and different metals, testing alloys that serve as better conduits for magic-” the inventor rambled as he led Ben to his garage/workshop “and boom, I made this beauty” Hal said with reverence and undeniable excitement as he handed over a wristwatch to the nymph. It was a finely crafted piece with a carefully polished chrome finish. The dial was lighter in color and next to the numbers there were small linear carvings. Water runes. “You wear that and you’ll stop having troubles with your powers, man. The runes enhance your hydrokinetic skills and the dial actually turns dark when you need to recharge it- you know, in water”. A proud grin crossed Hal’s lips “Mindblowingly awesome, right!?”.

The thing about being friends with Hal Stewart was expecting the inevitable yelling whenever he accomplished something or didn’t. Given how often he tried, this was often, and Ben was unsurprised that he was yanked towards his workshop without even a hello. “Are you surprised that I’m here? You called me,” he pointed out with a laugh, only half following along with Hal’s mumbo-jumbo involving runes, metals, and alloys. Ben wasn’t much of a scientist, he could only nod and pretend to understand, and let Hal’s enthusiasm run free. He stopped short at the wrist watch flung into his view, blinking in surprise and then reaching out for it slowly. “You’re kidding? You got that drunk idea to work?” Ben held it up to his eyes, eyeing the runes along the edges. The idea had come from an evening of one too many drinks together, and Oona’s own urging for him to tell someone about his issues. It hadn’t been easy telling Hal, particularly since he wasn’t sharing it with Eleonor yet, but it was necessary. “Your rune work was well done, I couldn’t have done it better myself. This is amazing, have you tested it out yet?” he asked, lowering the watch slightly so he could look at Hal with a raised brow. After a second, he put it on his wrist, a curious frown on his face. “If this blows up in my face, let’s not tell Oona what we were trying to do. She’s still going on about just embracing it - we should probably move away from your workshop if it does work though. Unless you’ve water-proofed all your papers.”

@eleonor-castellana

The trees shifting from green to red between one blink and the next, and the whole was a little odd. A work of magic, maybe, or possibly just the fireworks overhead reflecting off the lights hanging on the trees, and Ben tore his gaze away from the fireworks cracking across the sky, back to the woman standing at his side, a genuine smile crossing his face. She often took his breath away, but her profile tonight, lights playing across her face from each firework overhead, took the lead. “You know, this beats our last record. A whole two hours together in public without an interruption,” he said with a laugh, shifting closer to her as others crowded closer. It was a running joke between them. They’d tried half a dozen times to do a date that wasn’t just them holed up in their homes, or out in their meadow, and each time was interrupted with some mischief requiring her attention. He enjoyed the kisses he would leave her with before parting, but Ben was happier to have her at his side like now. His hand rested on her waist lightly, relishing the fact that he could do so now whenever she allowed it. “Think this counts as successful, I’d like to give it the stamp now.” It case anything goes wrong went unspoken, but his smile didn’t waver. He wanted to enjoy this without his own usual pessimism.

It took a lot for the overly rational Eleonor not to think and Ben managed to do just that; give her a moment without thought, just feeling. And God, did he make her feel. Their lips danced together to the same rhythm and gradually that rhythm slowed down. Somehow it felt like each caress, each brush of their lips was heightened, as Ele felt everything so acutely, so intimately. A shaky breath escaped her when they pulled apart, though still cherishing their closeness. A smile graced her lips before she looked down for a moment “I wasn’t sure either” she said with a soft chuckle, glancing up again to meet his eyes, noses brushing together as she did so. Just two days ago she’d admitted to Yasemin that she felt something for Ben but the lamia had been uncertain whether or not he reciprocated those feelings. Now he’d shown her. Now she knew. Unplanned and incidental as their revelation was, now it had happened and they could put their heart on the line or retreat back in fear. “Ben, this… this is all new for me. I had never felt this before for anyone”. She’d known other things like mere lust and emptiness, feeble imitations of affection that were easily discarded and held no meaning in the end. “So I am sure”. There was a pause before she asked “Are you sure?”.

He didn’t want to move away from her, and it was jarring, almost, to realize that nothing required him to step away. A sigh left his lips, soft and happy, and his nose brushed against hers or a moment, trying to make the moment last. It was fading, though, disappearing like water trickling from his fingers, and instead they were left with something... softer, better. Like the grass after a fresh rain. Ben twined their fingers together, gently and carefully, like he wasn’t used to doing it at all. He wasn’t, really, but there was time for him to figure it out. For them to figure it out. “You’re the first person I’ve ever felt so strongly for,” he said seriously. Things before paled compared to her; he’d cared, he’d loved, and yet it wasn’t the same as standing there with her. Like before he was playing a part, sliding into a skin that wasn’t his own. Here, he didn’t have to do it. Here, the only thing he had to hide was something that he hoped Oona was right about: having the gifts of a nymph didn’t change who he was. What else was it Oona said? His friend was wise, and it was about time he acknowledged it. Take a leap of faith, that was it, and so Ben smiled at Eleonor. “I’m sure, too.” Ben dipped his head, kissing her once more, deciding then and there that he would embrace what he could have and if Eleonor would let him have her then he would hold onto her.

Her walls shattered for good in that moment, or what little she still had left for him. With a single word from him, Ele felt she was defeated in the best possible way; open and welcoming. She’d grown used to Ben’s closeness in the past year but this was different, so very different. It was an absolute lack of space between them, it was simply being together. His lips brushed against hers tenderly for just a moment and it was enough to make her heart race, craving for what could make it beat faster still. Ele’s eyes opened and just like him, she made no attempt to move away. Slowly her hands made their way to his shoulders and then up to the sides of his neck. “You shouldn’t-” she whispered, letting out a shaky breath “have pulled away so soon”. Her nose brushed against his before she ended the small gap between them, her lips claiming his this time. Ele kissed him slowly, tentatively at first, beginning to learn what it was like to get to know each other this way. Ben was special to her in a way no one else was -and no one else had ever been- and she had never quite found a way to tell him that, so Eleonor was showing him. She kissed him lovingly. She kissed him passionately. She kissed him honestly.

He can’t argue with her when she’s returning the kiss with fervor, when his thoughts are so focused on keeping his balance. His freehand fell to the bench near them, adjusting to the way she leaned against him, trusting him to hold her up. Ben kissed her, pouring his feelings into each brush of his lips against her, trying to return the passion she so freely showed him. “Ele,” he murmured in a soft sigh, fingers finding their way to the back of her neck and brushing over the soft skin there. The kiss shifted, the passion fading way to the gentleness it started with as they slowly disentangled. Ben found that his thoughts, usually racing so fast he was left grasping whatever stray thought he could find, could think of nothing except her. Except the softness of her lips and the smell of her perfume and how lucky he was to be sitting here with her. They drew apart, but not far, hands still on the other as if wary to part, and he blinked rapidly to gather his head once more. “I’m glad I don’t have to worry about what you were feeling, that was clear enough for me. You’d argue if I said we shouldn’t, correct?” he asked with a laugh, thumb stroking over her neck gently. What trust she gave him, letting him be this close. “This is what I intended, for the record, but I’m glad that it did work out this way. Are you sure, though?” He had to ask once, let him know this was what she wanted before he sunk in too deep. Well, too late for that one, Ben couldn’t imagine not knowing her now.

Ele laughed along with him as what he said brought an easy laugh out of her. His words had a way to resonate with her in spite of their joking nature, though. They really did balance each other out, didn’t they? It was one of the things that kept drawing them to one another, one of the things that continued to nurture the bond that united them. Her eyes stayed on his as her thumb brushed tenderly against his skin as he told her his parents had passed away a while back. It was her silent way of saying she was sorry for his loss. Only her eyes and her touch spoke. “It means a lot that you trust me enough to tell me those things” the lamia said, appreciative of every piece of him he chose to share with her. Allowing someone else to know you -truly know you- took courage and over the past year the nymph had been giving her that gift. He’d been letting her get to know him. Their increasing closeness didn’t go unnoticed by Eleonor but she felt so at ease with it that she spared almost no thought to it. Her thoughts were with those dark eyes inviting her to be as they were, close and honest and intimate. “I want to know you, Ben” she admitted in a low tone, feeling their breaths mingle as she moved closer to him “And I want you to know me”.

I want you to know me. Ben’s breath came out in a stutter, like her words had stolen the air from his lungs. “Good,” he said, simple and truthful, all other things ceasing to matter. He didn’t think, not of the question of his longevity to someone who would live forever, or the consequences of following his heart when all other times had ended in failure, or any other possible interference to his goal. His forehead leaned against hers for a heartbeat and then Ben’s head tilted, lips brushing softly against hers in question. His hand snaked to her head, holding her, and it was like time stopping. Ben had imagined kissing her for so long, unable to bear the temptation over the last year, and it was too soon when they parted. The world returned slowly and he didn’t move far from her, forehead resting against hers. “I’m sorry, I don’t think I should have done that,” he admitted, too reluctant and selfish to draw away. Let him enjoy it, before she stood up to walk away, though she hadn’t yet made a move to leave. He held onto that hope, nose brushing hers. “You’re too important to me, I don’t want something to mess us up.” Something being him.

Eleonor gave him a skeptical look as he insisted that he could in fact curse. It usually ended up bringing a smile to her lips to hear him swear in his own creative way that oftentimes involved hot sauce or sugar honey ice tea. Meanwhile she unleashed a full storm of curses, which only became worse and more intense when she switched to Spanish. In that area they were an oddly-paired match but they usually did keep each other from attacking others too strongly with words, even if they were actual curses or random ingredients. “I did once, yes. I think I also insulted their ancestors” the lamia mentioned with a chuckle, her free hand moving up to cover her mouth as she continued to laugh.

The clearing was a lovely sight but in spite of its serene beauty it didn’t escape her notice that something shifted slightly in Ben once they found themselves there. They’d gotten fairly good at reading each other over the past year and it had become a secret hobby of her to interpret every little emotion playing out on his features. She frowned slightly about to ask what was in the matter when Ben spoke first. Still hand in hand, Eleonor sat down next to him, angled towards him with her knee lightly brushing his. “They would have liked this place, I’m sure” the lamia told him with a soft smile, reaching up to cup his face with her free hand, fingers tenderly caressing his cheek. “You never had talked about your parents before” she mentioned in a softer tone, aware of how meaningful it was that he was choosing to share that with her. It was always a gift to receive his honesty, his trust, when Ben chose to tell her something that was only for her to know.

“We’ll balance each other out then. You keep cursing people within an inch of their lives and I’ll make comments on food that they are oblivious to till later,” he decided with a laugh. Eleonor was charming, no doubts, but there was something wholly different about seeing her comfortable. There were no eyes on them, nothing that required keeping their guard up, and it was easy enough to talk about family with that thought in mind. Easier still with the little bit of contact she gave him, her knees brushing his own. And it was lucky, really, that she couldn’t feel the way his heart stuttered at the touch to his face. Ben leaned into her hand instinctively, a soft sigh escaping him. “They died a long time ago, I’ve learned to speak of it in different ways than words. But sometimes that helps more. You’ve told me pieces of your life, I wanted you to know parts of mine.” It was a shift, just like the talk of his parents, but different than the one before and it occurred to Ben how close they were sitting. How it wouldn’t be hard at all to kiss her like he’d been imagining for ages now. He didn’t deserve to say this, not when there were things left unspoken, but Ben thought there was room for that later. He tilted his head, his hand reaching up to close over her own on his cheek. “I know you have your own walls and I have mine, but I’d be honored to know and be known by you.”

His comment managed to bring a carefree chuckle out of her. Nobody called her young these days. “Are you even capable of being rude? You don’t even curse” the lamia pointed out with an amused smile. He always found creative ways of avoiding curse words and yet managed to convey his message so clearly, which was a peculiar skill that was so very him. She probably didn’t say it enough, but she happened to like that about the nymph very much. One of many things. Ben offered his arm as they stepped on the trail and they started their trek, walking close to each other with linked arms. “I don’t think you will run out of things to show me. You have a gift for finding hidden beauty, Ben” Ele mentioned with a light smile as she glanced sideways at him. She didn’t have that gift, even in a century she’d overlooked things that Ben had managed to find and appreciate, then showing them to her under a new light. “Best one yet? I’ll be the judge of that” she teased before his hand found hers, tugging to lead her into a clearing. Eleonor stepped into it and a smile filled with awe soon graced her lips. Green eyes scanned the area, taking everything in. It was so serene and lovely, an image that seemed taken out of a breathtaking impressionistic painting. “I don’t think others know this is here” she thought out loud, considering that was the most likely possibility for a gem like this to be unknown to the rest of Lethe. “This place is beautiful Ben, it’s like a Monet painting came to life” she said to him as her eyes found his again. She had to compare it to the French artist’s work because she was feeling something very similar to what she felt looking at Monet’s art. Calm. Content. Mesmerized. And being in such good company only made her enjoy this even more.

“I can curse,” he protested, rather weakly when he was still smiling. “I just prefer not to do it. At least I don’t swear in the form of actual curses, didn’t you threaten someone that their teeth would all fall out?” Ben thought it funny that when someone triggered her temper -- she was like the sea, calm for a moment and a storm in the next if necessary. The new parts of her Ben discovered with each passing day brought a rise of pride into his chest. While they walked, he thought of her previous words, about finding hidden gems, and he realized that he had spoken little of his own past. He waited till they were in the clearing though, wanting to take in the look on her face when she first spotted it and he rather thought he was right, that the hours of exploring and near getting lost in the woods was worth it to see that look on her face. “I didn’t think so either,” he agreed, squeezing her hand. As she drank her fill of the place, Ben studied her, watching the way her green eyes flickered from one piece to another. “You said earlier I had a knack for finding hidden gems. I’d like to say I was born with that, but it was something I learned a long time ago.” He paused, not necessarily wanting to bring down the mood, but Ben was rarely honest with anyone and he treasured this chance to share something with Ele beyond a pretty sight. Together, they walked to the stone bench and Ben dusted what he could off of it before they sat down, hands still held together. “After my parents died, I told myself that if I saw one thing that they didn’t, if I found one place that they would have wanted to see if they were here, then they’d never be gone.” He looked at her then, brown eyes meeting green, and smiled a little sheepishly. “Overtime, I just came to like finding these places -- and I’ve enjoyed sharing them with you.”

A small laugh manages to escape Oona’s lips before she covers them, shaking her head. “Maybe I shouldn’t be this surprised then,” she mumbles through her hands, letting out a soft sigh. Careful or not, there’s been more than one close call so it really is their own fault. “No I’m just being…shocked. This is how I am when I’m shocked about babies, I act dumb, apparently,” she says with a snort. It’s her first time reacting to news of a pregnancy, and it’s not like she’s had pregnant friends before. Oona looks up at Ben ready to protest, but stops with the movement of his hand. All right, so maybe he does have a point. “All right, all right. My olive branch is to agree with you, and I do, you’re right. Hal and I have plenty of time to talk and plan, it’s not like it’s coming out now.” Even still, the fact that there’s another human being growing inside her right now…that’s…calling it a miracle is cheesy and a little far off, but it is incredibly cool. 

“Oh come on you aren’t that bad…” Actually, he is, but Oona wasn’t lying when she said he’d improved. She’s usually the one giving pep talks anyway. But his comment does manage to get a smile out of her, and she takes a brief moment to rest her head against Ben’s shoulder. “You’re a good friend,” she states softly, sitting upright so she can look at him. They’ve been through a lot. Probably a lot more than most friends go through in a year, but neither of them ever failed to show up. “There you go with the grade ‘A’ pep talk again, God you’re on a roll. No, seriously though, I’m already starting to make a list of things we’ll need.” As the daughter of two organized planners, it’s in Oona’s nature to make lists. God knows how two planners managed to produce, Gabe, who could barely keep track of his own two feet much less the time on a clock. A small chuckle leaves Oona’s lips just before Dr. Grace reenters. “Oh of course you’re the pretty one,” she whispers back, turning her attention back to the Doctor. At least they’d gotten this out of the way, now all that’s left is…to tell Hal. Well then after that, to have the baby. As they walk out of the hospital, Oona points to the left, nodding at Ben. “You mean the place up here? Yeah that’s it. It’s not bad actually, they have some pretty great sandwiches,” she muses aloud, linking arms with her head as they walk side by side. “Hey, you didn’t have to come with me today but I’m glad you did. Someone needed to hold my hand in that death grip til I calmed down.” She chuckles before adding, “I should tell Hal though. Maybe later when I get home, we can just sit down and talk it through..Think I should make one of those weird signs that says, ‘we’re pregnant?’”

Talking about babies wasn’t part of any future that Ben expected, not after cutting off ties with his ex-wife so many years prior, his son by everything but blood being near his teens now. “Are you going to tell the rest of your family?” he asked as the thought occurred, trying to imagine her mother barging her way into Lethe against all the anti-human laws to be with Oona during this time. “Your mom might have advice for you, but they might break down your door, too, I get the feeling they’ve only been waiting for an excuse to come see you.” He didn’t know all the details that Oona had told them about her existence for the last couple years. The truth, maybe? He laughed, thinking about her brother. “Reckon Gabe would like the chance to size up Hal a little more. Truthfully, I think he might enlist me to do the brotherly obligation of threatening Hal, I’d hate to tell him we’ve already been through that.” He liked Hal, that didn’t mean he hadn’t mentioned how important Oona was to him and a couple of others, namely her family in Lethe and outside of it. Sensing that Oona might not like knowing this, he hastened to add, “It was quite friendly, he took it in good grace. I’m sure you’ll be threatened by his brother sometime if you haven’t. Hugh, was it, the councilman?”

Oh, he was actually right about her making a list? “It was a lucky guess, I figured you were logical enough to try that,” he said with a snort, their arms linked together as they made their way out of the hospital. The sandwich shop wasn’t far, the longest part of their walk would be through a parking lot and across a street. Ben smiled, shaking his head. “I wouldn’t have left you to handle that alone, I half thought you were black and blue when I got the phone call though.” The panic and worry in her voice had cut straight through the fogginess that writing induced and he’d near tripped out the door to meet up with her. “This is a joy compared to that. I don’t know if I would go with a sign, but maybe get one of those mugs and hand him a cup of coffee. But after the last hour of panic, is telling Hal really going to rank up there?” He would think not, but he wasn’t pregnant nor telling someone he loved about this life changing event. Uninterested in panicking her more, Ben swiftly changed the subject. “So its a little early to pick out names, but I vote Jordan. I’m not so rude to pick Ben.” His lips quirked, both of them knowing that Jordan was a pseudonym that he wrote under and it was arguably not much better than voting for Ben. 

Eleonor texted “On my way” little after receiving Ben’s messages, only stopping to change her shoes before leaving the house. Over the past year the nymph had shown her all sorts of marvelous places around Lethe, little gems that even her in her century living there hadn’t yet discovered. It wasn’t that long a drive to the location Ben sent and after a few minutes Ele was parking near to where he was waiting for her. “I’m old, but not as old to go to bed so early” the lamia said with a playful smile before she approached him, giving him a hug as she always did. Ele’s attention went to the old sign afterwards, raising her eyebrows. By the looks of it, that sign might have been placed there since around the time she first got to town. “Well, I trust you. Lead the way, mister”.

Ben laughed, regarding her fondly. “Much too young to be asleep before 8 o’clock, yes, but if I’m rude, someone would beat me up -- possibly Oona, possibly Yasemin,” he said, wrapping his arms around her waist in return as she hugged him. It never failed to surprise him, her willingness to hold onto things, and he enjoyed it more than he perhaps should. He inclined his head, offering his arm to her. No one walked the path often, none except for him the night before and the two of them now, and he held aside the branches of a low-hanging tree for her to walk through. They walk for several minutes, watching their footing, and when they get closer, Ben spoke. “Well, you’ve seen near everything in this town, I’m going to run out of things to show you and then we’ll have to trade places,” he continued, squinting ahead. “But I think this one is the best one. Ah, here it is.” He took her hand, pulling her forward and they stepped into a clearing where flowers sprouted among lush grass, a stream trickled over the rocks, and a stone bench rested beneath the shade of a tree. From the look of the clearing, people hadn’t been here in several years. “What do you think? It wasn’t a long walk for a place like this, I don’t know why no one has used it.”

“Well it’s not like we weren’t being…careful. Sure there were some close calls…well, I guess one ‘close call’ was actually a bullseye- don’t look at me like that, you started this,” Oona points out, poking a finger to her friend’s upper arm. Sure, they’re essentially best friends, but they didn’t sit around over a couple of beers talking about their sex life. Or…her sex life, she’s still a little unclear what’s going on with Ele. Maybe I should poke him a little more about that, Oona thinks, sending Ben a skeptical look. It’s not that she doesn’t trust Hal, it’s just…past experience. She lets out a small breath of air, fiddling with her rings again as she mumbles, “I know you’re right. Rationally I know you’re right, but there’s just this part of me that’s scared.” The part that’s been hurt before, if she has to guess. “You know how I am, I like to plan, I like structure, this is…ugh,” Oona gestures towards the open air, meaning the situation and not some random thing. 

Luckily, her friend’s good at talking, especially when it comes to pep talks. “Have you always been this wise? Your pep talk game really is improving,” she says with a bit of humor to her words, a small smile making its way to her lips. “I don’t want other options. I think…I think I want to have this baby. I’m still fucking scared though, let’s make that clear. This is…an adjustment,” the werewolf begins, nodding her head. “But we’ll make it work. Hal and I, you just show up when I need you to and look pretty.” Her hand reaches out to take Ben’s, giving it a small squeeze for her own benefit. Dr. Grace returns carrying a cup of water, which she promptly hands to Oona. “Thanks.” “Of course. So, I assume you’ll need some time to talk things over with the child’s father? I recommend if you’d like to proceed with the pregnancy, we see you in about a week for an ultrasound. If not, we can discuss other options if needed.” Oona gives a light nod as she drinks her water. “That would be great, thank you. I um…thank you for seeing me on such short notice, Dr. Grace.” “Any time. Make sure to call when you’re ready for an appointment.” With that Oona stands up, following Ben back out into the lobby. As they walk, Oona lets out a loud sigh and grips her stomach. “I’m starving. Or maybe the baby is, I dunno…I need food. How about you?” 

“Definitely a bullseye,” he agrees, biting on his lip to keep from laughing. They don’t discuss things like this, its not part of their friendship to trade stories about their sexual history over coffee, but if it fits the atmosphere then, well, Ben isn’t going to argue. He shrugs, unbothered by her prods. “If it helps you out to question when and how, I’ll indulge you with only minimal face making.” He doesn’t want to picture what they get up to - and its not just because he’s been on a dry spell for months. Ben raises his brow, a little surprised. “Only the beginning is a surprise, you still have months to prepare for it. I know that’s not what you mean, I know its not how you wanted it,” he says, holding up a hand to forestall any arguments. “But there’s still time to wrap your mind around it before you’re holding a baby in your arms. At least you found out now rather than when you’re a couple months and about to pop.”

Ben snorts. “No, I’m usually lousy at them, but when the time comes, I can channel someone who is really good at them. Same lady who told me that I don’t need magic,” he says with a half-smile on his lips. The catalyst was a mess, but its a breath of fresh air that he has this out in the open with someone when nobody else in Lethe knows. He twists his wrist, looking at his watch. “Well, you did only find out less than twenty minutes ago. Its alright if you take a minute to wrap your head around the whole thing, Oona, you’ll bounce back in no time.” Its not like her to wallow, he expects she’s already brainstorming plans. He squeezes her hand back, laughing. “At least you’re finally admitting I’m the pretty one,” he says, settling back in his seat as the doctor returns. The entire conversation takes only a few moments before the two of them are leaving and he waits patiently for Oona to find the words, only turning to face her when she actually speaks. “I can do with something to eat. Ground Up Cafe is just down the street, isn’t it?” he questions, thinking about the layout of Lethe in his head as they make their out of the hospital and into the fresh air outside. “Or is that the other cafe?”

The urge to smack her best friend becomes apparent with the look she sends him, though her hands are too busy fiddling her rings to bother raising. At least it does the job of distracting her, even if the moment is brief. With a light roll of her eyes, Oona sighs, hands rubbing against her face. “Yes?” She says it like a question, but it’s not. Unfortunately she already knows what’s coming next even before the words leave his lips. Normally, humor might work. Nine times out of ten it does with her, but today…not so much. “Don’t bring that up again, we agreed once was enough,” she mumbles through her hands, moving them through her hair once she feels Ben’s arm wrap around her. 

What are you thinking? Oona lets out a short breathless laugh before she answers, letting her hands rest on her knees. “Welp, uh…I’m thinking this isn’t how I would’ve planned it. I would’ve liked to be ready, to have it be Hal and I’s decision, it’s just…sudden. Hal and I have been good- actually great, and this…I don’t know. I’m worried this may be too much, that it could…shit. Scare him off, I guess.” Oona felt guilty saying it, but that’s the first thing that ran through her mind at the words ‘pregnant.’ Would this be some sort of deal breaker? Would this scare him off? They’d come so far, her and Hal, and this year has been good to them. And then there’s work. “Shit. Shit, and, you know, not to mention I finally got the promotion I wanted, I love the job, but am I going to feel comfortable going to work, risking my life, and risking the chance of depriving this child of a mother? Ben, this is the kind of crap going through my head right now, because we didn’t think…we didn’t think. We didn’t plan it, it’s not…” She trails off, slowly shaking her head until she stops suddenly, letting out another breath of air. “But I want a kid. I do, I always have.” 

The bafflement on her face is enough to do him in, but Ben holds back his laughter for her sake, at least till she’s over the initial shock. “Alright, alright, I did promise not to tease you about that anymore, but my point still stands. It was bound to happen sooner or later, not that it does you any good now,” he comments, his freehand rubbing his face. Its been a while since he’s been around someone pregnant -- his ex-wife had been in labor when they met, there wasn’t much time to worry about the rest.

Some of his humor evaporates at her laughter and instead he sighs, squeezing her shoulder in support. “I don’t think you’re giving Hal enough credit here, he clearly loves you and I think it’ll be a shock at first, but he seems like he’s with you for the long haul,” he says carefully. Over the last year, he’d gotten close with Hal, enough that he considers the other man a friend. But he won’t claim to be an expert on him, or on him and Oona together. If Hal isn’t in it for the long haul, Ben can think of something to do that will ruin the witch’s day, but he doesn’t say this, only grimaces a little. “Oona, you can’t think about things like that, you’ve lasted this long with only minimal issues. You’re going to be fine, let’s just take it one step at a time,” he reminds her, releasing his grip on her shoulder and just settling beside her. “There’s options if you think its not the time, but I don’t think anyone is ever ready for something like this. You’ve worked with the unexpected before, Oona, I don’t think you’ll have troubles figuring this surprise out, too.”